BG: Good afternoon, Leila! Thanks so much for joining us on 5th/58th. Now we understand that this is your first time stepping into our windows on Fifth Avenue… but what we want to know is is this your first time to perform in windows?LB: Oddly no, I have performed in a handful of other shop windows, including the window of Coco De Mer, here in Los Angeles, but it was a bit more festive with leather props, satin knickers and such. But not much compares to dancing in the historic Fifth Avenue Bergdorf Goodman windows on Fashion’s Night Out. New York comes unhinged for one wild evening, I love it!!

BG: Oh you have no idea… Fifth Avenue gets pretty wild that night! Speaking of unhinged, what’s your most memorable on-stage mishap?LB: Lets see, again a handful to choose from, but what comes to mind is a time when I was dancing with a Vaudeville troupe called the Yard Dogs Road Show, I think we were somewhere in some probably ultra-conservative, mid-western town, and I was dancing in a chorus line of sorts with three other ladies. We had many very quick costume changes during our shows, and sometimes our costumes weren’t always put on with the utmost care. Well we went out to do our Cancan number, in which at one point we all bend over lifting our skirts towards that audience. Well I did so and realized I had forgotten to put on the right knickers! Luckily I always wore a second pair under all my costumes so I wasn’t bare, but to say the least, they got their moneys worth that night.

BG: Yikes. That sounds like something we certainly would not want to remember… but, then again, there are all sorts of wardrobe malfunctions and… say, worst childhood fashion memories?LB: Yes!!BG: So what was yours? Worst childhood fashion memory, that is…LB: Hmmm there were so many, being a child of the 80′s truly so much could and did go wrong. But if I had to choose I would say it happened at the tender age of 11. I was performing with a small dance company, and it was our first recital, and our instructions were to show up in black jeans and white T-shirts (it was the 90′s) and all the other girls showed up in pretty hip, tight, skinny, black jeans. I was not so hip, and showed up in what most would call “mom” jeans. Yes, high waisted, pleated, pegged, nightmares. All the girls laughed at me, and there was no time to go home and change, it was awful.

BG: Now that must’ve scarred you for life. Doubt we’d see any Mom Jeans in your closet these days! But what about favorite looks? Have any you’ve seen or worn on stage?LB: I would say one of my favorite costumes that I’ve seen wasn’t even a showgirl costume, though Ive seen some pretty mind blowing ones in my time. It was this couple that I saw at Glastonbury ( a huge music festival in England). They were mermaids on stilts, but the bottom half of them were fisherman, carrying their mermaid tails. So when you looked at them you saw these ancient faced, hunch backed, old leathery fisherman, carrying mermaids on their shoulders. I thought it was genius.

BG: That sounds amazing. We do have a weakness for clever costumery here on Fifth Avenue you know… you could even call it our guilty pleasure! Have any guilty pleasures you want to share with 5th/58th?LB: Hmmm..I would say jetting home right in the middle of the day to indulge in a hot, sudsy bubble bath! Even though I only take about an hour break from work to do so, I feel sooooooo guilty. But I love it.

BG: Don’t feel guilty about that!! That should be on everyone’s to do list! In fact, we have it on good authority that Tom Ford indulges in his own midday bath breaks… so final question: do you have a BG Story you want to share with us? Any tales from within the walls of Bergdorf Goodman?LB: One of my favorite BG stories is when I had the opportunity to create the worlds smallest corset for a taxidermy mouse. She was so fancy, and her lovely groom sported a teeny, tiny bow tie! I had to cut open her belly to take some stuffing out in order to create the hourglass silhouette. And I went completely cross eyed trying to lace up the back of it. But in the end it was one of the most satisfying garments I have ever created. They were used in one of the 2009 5th Ave windows for Dell. I still have a picture of the lovely duo on my mantel.
BG: Those were windows we’d never forget! We even have a video of its installation on our Facebook page! Thanks so much for joining us and we’ll see you next week on Fifth Avenue!

JOIN LEILA THIS FASHION’S NIGHT OUT AS SHE DAZZLES IN OUR FIFTH AVENUE WINDOWS!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE FROM THE TALENTED PERFORMERS IN OUR LIVE WINDOW REVUE!
Curated by Chip Duckett of Spin Cycle